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The Trichomes are Whispering, But What Are They Saying?

grouchyoldman

grouchyoldman

New member
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
Till the last recorded syllable of time...

-Macbeth, in frustration over the delays in his own "Harvest!"

JohnEmad recently posted a link to an article in Weed World magazine that makes me wonder if we are all harvesting too early based on a misreading of trichome colors. Here's a link to that posting: https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...ty-and-potency

In the article, Frenchy Cannoli presents some evidence suggesting that full THC production doesn't occur until more than half the Trichomes begin to turn amber. By that time there shouldn't be any translucent mushrooms and a minority of cloudy white ones.

I have no idea if that is right, but I'm joining @bboyfromwayback and perhaps some others in delaying my current harvest to see how this plays out.

My small but luscious White Widow is beginning week 11 of flowering today. I would normally be harvesting already. I'd say 80% of the trics are cloudy, perhaps 5% beginning to show some brown and a few stragglers still look glassy. The attached pics are a few days old.

Here are some guidelines I intend to follow:
  • I'm only looking at trics on the actual buds, not the leaves.
  • I'm going to try to take micro-pictures so I can actually make percentage estimates.
  • I'm going to count "Amber" from the time the trics begin to show any amber color beyond snowy white. (per the Frenchy article)
  • I'm going to TRY and wait till I see at least 50% amber
  • However, as self-discipline isn't my strong suit, I intend to harvest, dry and cure some test buds along the way for a comparison at the end.
The pics below show: a ripening WW Bud, mostly opaque Trics and an early appearance of Amber.

I'd invite anyone else interested to add their stories and pictures. Does ANYONE actually have a pic of 50% Amber Trichomes?

Regards,

-Grouchy


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Second try on the Pics...
 

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Dammit! I have been fussing with trying to load pics for days now! I used the "Attachment" button when I created the posting, this time I'll try the little Camera button.

I really want to create one of those GWE "Picture albums" so you can flip from one to the other and enlarge them for a really good look; Anyone with help is welcome to PM me. *sighs*
 
I always just click the camera at the top to load pictures it drops down a second way to load them and the click the upload. This gives the type of pictures you can flip through.
 
Great shots grouchyoldman this is ONE of the hardest parts for a home grower. The more i look the more i can tell the changes. I only wish the eye pieces were larger, my eyes are getting to the point i think i may need a assit. to judge LOL.
 
i love that you guys are into trichomes but i have to say something, everybody focuses on the trichomes and never actually learn about the whole ripening process, how calyxes swell, the angle of the leaves, how hard the buds feel, how developed are the lower buds, lots of signs of maturity are overlooked. trichomes can oxidize for a number of reasons and its not the main maturity indicator until every other aspect of maturity checks out, there are plants that have amber trichomes before they actually finish swelling and producing cannabinoids and terpenes. its just my opinion, but i harvest at least 100 plants a year for the past couple of years so believe me when i say there are more important things to focus on
 
9fingerleafs, that is a *very* interesting perspective and you surely have a point as well as a lot of experience. Nice pics by the way!

The prevailing dogma is all about Trichomes, How do you prioritize those other factors? How do you weigh them in making the call?

The decision just seems too important for guesswork!
 
I understand that flower and trichome ripeness is both subjective and objective, based on personal experience, likes/ dislikes, strain type etc.

For instance Frenchy Cannoli is interested in mainly Indica strains for making hash only and has found that very ripe trichs are best for his uses.
Most people probably do not make hash so their desired maturity is not going to be the same as Frenchy's.
I have a few plants almost ready to go into flower and will do the same comparison. Letting one go as far as it will to get those 50% plus amber and opaque trichs while harvesting one at 10 to 15% amber as I have learned meets my needs/wants.
Glad this has sparked some interest.
;)
 
This is my plan also for my indoor. I allow this to happen for the outdoor why not for indoor? But what about possible hermi or seed production?:shock:
 
For those who have watched French Cannoli’s in-depth video series on hash making, there is a moment when he talks about compact buds vs airy loose buds. His theory on tight, compact buds is that they produce lower quantity of THC since there is not enough surface area to express the glands. This totally makes sense to me, but I’m still a junior gardener.

I’m wondering if those with a great deal of experience, and experimentation, agree with Cannoli that loose buds provide more gland expression?
 
I just rarely check trichomes anymore. I harvest by flower development. You can see with your bare eyes when you get a special plant that has darker trichomes and needs a closer look, I’ve never had a plant over ripe that doesn’t “feel” ready for days before trichomes start degrading. Even abused plants under heavy rain and wind tend to go amber on tops but the rest on the trichomes(and new flower) keeps growing with new clear trichomes.
 
I’m following! What’s everyone using to get those closeup trichome pics? I have a iPhone 8 Plus and if I zoom in that far it’s just blurry. I guess I could try the scope for the high grade app. Funny how you can answer your own damn question while typing it 😂 I’ll try this evening when the lights come on and see what I get
 
agreed there is more to this then just letting them ripen. I have found the odd pollen sack or two when letting the flowers continue to ripen longer and longer.
 
One easy method I have found is holding or placing a loupe in front of the phones camera lens to get decent close up picture.
 
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